Israeli air strikes targeted “elite” Hamas forces involved in Saturday’s coordinated attack on Israel that have sparked days of violence, the Israeli military has said.
The Israeli air force conducted “a wave of strikes targeting the Nukhba elite forces” making up part of Hamas’ ranks, the Israeli military said in a statement.
The air strikes zoned in on command bases “used by operatives who infiltrated the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip last Saturday,” the air force added.
IBRAHIM HAMS/AFP via Getty Images
Saturday marked the beginning of a large-scale land, air and sea attack on Israel by Hamas fighters, with many quickly moving through Israeli villages close to the Gaza Strip, west of southern Israel.
The attacks marked the most serious spike in hostilities in the region for years, in what the Palestinian group termed “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
Israel then carried out waves of air strikes under its “Operation Swords of Iron,” targeting the Hamas-held Gaza Strip, declaring it was at “war” with Hamas.
This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.